Ichigo! On Ice
by KawaiiMajinBuu
Summary: After losing his mother and suffering a crushing defeat, Ichigo turned his back on ice skating. Years later when a video surfaces online of him performing his rendition of Russian skating pro Rukia Kuchiki's 'Life Is Like A Boat', she shows up at his door (err..hot springs) telling him she's going to be his coach and lead him to victory at the Grand Prix Final! Yuri! On Ice AU.
1. Hot Springs Dreams! Peaches?

**Thank you for clicking!**

(◕‿◕✿)

 **Summary:** After losing his mother and suffering a crushing defeat, Ichigo turned his back on ice skating. Years later when a video surfaces online of him performing his rendition of Russian skating pro Rukia Kuchiki's 'Life Is Like A Boat', she shows up at his door (err..hot springs) telling him she's going to be his coach and lead him to victory at the Grand Prix Final!

 **Pairings:** Ichigo x Rukia. Toushiro x Momo are also in here.

 **Rating:** PG.

 **Note(s):** Character's are gonna be OOC. I will try my hardest however. I will use the excuse of ' _Well hey, Rukia didn't grow up in the Rukon District_ ' for her character though, lol. As for my _boii_ , I'm trying to tie down Ichigo's backstory as much as I can so I can retain his personality. (My best efforts, anyway.) This is my first time writing a Bleach fic so don't be too hard on me -w- okie thx!

* * *

 _Even in her condition she was smiling for him. In her pain, her end kno_ _cking on the door, she smiled for him._

 _"I want you to go Ichigo, this is very important, isn't it?," Masaki tried to remind, her dimples tried to ease the wetness streaming from her heartbroken son's cheeks. "I'll be waiting for you when you come back. Have fun and know mother is always right ..here." Her finger tips softly pushed into his chest, earning his soft grin._

 _Through his tears he forced a stronger smile, holding his dear mother's hands._

 _"I'll be back momma. With a gold medal too!"_

He could remember it.

It was hard because the memories were scattered, maybe even hidden. The ones he managed not to lose however were arbitrary **.** It ranged from something so little as the chill in the air or the lack of rhythm his skates made as they carved the ice shakily. If Ichigo wanted to put himself through that much misery and really sat down to think about it, the missing pieces would eventually reveal themselves. It would flash in his mind, it would ring in his ears and it would tingle his skin.

The cheering, the judges on the speakers, the aggravation his skin had from that costume - it would come _rushing_ in.

Ichigo could even remember how it felt standing before everyone. So many feelings, the ones that came with competing.. they were dreadful. For a twelve year old kid at the time however, it shouldn't of been. Exciting, amazing, jittery even.

Not exhausting. Not ugly. Not shameful.

Ichigo Kurosaki, a young kid who smiled too much was at the very place he wanted to be.

The ice.

His mother, a once pro female ice skater herself, was by him every step of the way. The first fall, the first triple axel, even the first medal. He was at the finals for the children's division. It would make him smile thinking about such an accomplishment. All because of her.

But then his smile would fade.

Masaki wasn't there.

The performance was excruciating to watch. You could see a young boy fall apart in front of your very eyes. His heart was dying and everything else was with it. The reality of his mother's critical condition and anxiety of everyone watching came crashing against him all at once.

Once it was over however, he didn't feel the true weight of his despair and no one else had never really seen it until his father had told him of the news.

No one questioned when they heard crying in the stall that day as Isshin Kurosaki scattered the entire arena for his son.

Ichigo Kurosaki was an up and comer with great potential. After _that_ however, no one questioned when he disappeared from the ice skating scene neither.

* * *

A russian ice skater was taking the world by storm. She had captured the hearts of many and took multiple gold medals while at it. The young woman started at a even younger age, gaining world-wide recognition at just fifteen years old. Her father, Byakuya Kuchiki, once named Forbe's most richest man, had _the_ Jushiro Ukitake as her ice skating coach at only eight years old. It was no wonder she had took the highest spot on every podium.

However, now a days, Rukia Kuchiki was getting .. _bored_.

The couch of the penthouse wasn't as comfortable. The wine wasn't as tasteful..Her friends were practically non-existent. Not to mention her interest in skating..

It wasn't that she wanted to retire like the tabloids tried to convince, but the young champion had just been doing it for eighteen years. Her love for the ice wasn't gone nor had it diminished over time. It just.. _needed_ something.

Grand Prix Final win after win was getting gullible. No - she wasn't cocky, but the competition was just so _lacking_. Rukia wanted a challenge, she needed something to get her blood rushing and her heart thumping.

Like it used to..

* * *

Karakura, Japan had forgiving summers. The sun didn't seem to bake you like it did in California, nor did it kiss Ichigo's skin as much. He found himself missing the cool air as he studied abroad. The overly annoying cherry blossom scent filling his too-sensitive nose even made the ginger reminiscent. Yuzu, much to Karin's aggravation, always forgot the second and last ingredient on her list, making her brother take her down the path of Cherry Blossom hill to the grocery store once more. Smiling wasn't necessarily a close friend with Ichigo, but it visited every once in a while.

Everyone was so excited to see their favorite scowler, Ichigo Kurosaki, _California boy_. He was on break now, only back in Japan to visit for a bit. No way in hell was he spending his whole vacation with his father..He of course visited while he was in CA, Urahara, his uncle who he lived with for quite a few years loved to get rid of him when he could.

The first few hours helping with the Inn & Hotsprings however was actually nice. He'd never admit it but..he missed it.

Just like he missed Rukchan's funeral..

 _They made a damn shrine for the bunny?_ He questioned, not even that surprised as he headed for his old room. Isshin had mentioned he needed to clean it since they were using his bedroom for storage space. _Why use the storage shed for storage space? Makes sense._ Ichigo irritatedly complained, kicking his half open door wider as his hands were occupied with boxes.

Once everything was put aside or trashed, he was surprised to see his old things still in place. After his mother died he rarely stood in the hotsprings & inn. But apart from the dust it was exactly how he left it. Even the posters.

 _Even the posters._

He cringed a bit inside. Ichigo's neck suddenly became itchy as he stared at..what? 35? _45_? pictures and posters of his favorite skater.

The Russian champion, Rukia Kuchiki.

He was twelve when he put them up. _No_ , he didn't have a crush on the eighteen year old at the time, he was just _.._ inspired by her. Masaki loved her too, * _was inspired_ by her as well. She even told her son she helped trained the young russian girl. He never got to meet Rukia but he always wanted to.

He could remember it.

All of it.

The cheering his sisters and he started, the judges on the speakers, the chill in the air, the way his heart raced - _everything_. But those feelings? The ones that come with competing.. they were amazing. For a ten year old kid at the time however, it shouldn't of been. All the others waiting for their division watching the teens were..jealous. Impatient. Uninterested.

Ichigo though..he was exhilarated. He was amazed by the way she glided on the rink, excited when she looked up into the crowd and felt something he couldn't explain as she nailed every jump he struggled with or gave up on. The Russian captured his heart just like everyone else's. She owned the entire audience. Her grace even as she recovered from a fall was something that made people cheer. She was beautiful on the ice.

 _She_ was beautiful.

It was strange to some, being a male skater and looking up not to Evgeni Plushenko  
or Viktor Nikiforov, but Rukia Kuchiki, a female skater. That didn't bothered him though. She had amazing talent and once as a child, he promised himself he would compete against her. It wasn't out of envy or proving who's better, it was genuine admiration. To share the same ice as her..it was a dream.

Ichigo Kurosaki hadn't touched the ice in years but when he'd watch the finals growing up and even now, he found himself rooting for her. After everything, even if he was weirded out at the obsessed amount of pictures he owned of the Russian skater (he was _12_ ), she really was the last string of any interest he held for ice skating.

As the ginger went to take a poster down, he suddenly stopped from doing so. They were old and his room didn't need to have clean white squares on the now off white wall..right? It wasn't as if anyone stayed in there beside him _anyways_.

* * *

His first week back in Japan went okay. It was suppose to be better but then Karin had to talk with her big brother and it all went down hill from there. He was helping her with check out, counting money and assorting.

He thought they couldn't tell but they could.

Ichigo wasn't happy.

"What are planning to do after college? Any plans? You can't just come back here with that depressed look on your face all the time. Figure something out, you idiot." His younger sister sighed. It was her brother and for some reason she just didn't know what to say. "Don't just..mellow in your sadness, ya got it? What's got you down so much anyway?"

It was his sister and for some reason he just _didn't know what to say_. So he told he that before walking away, leaving her confused and feeling bad as he left for his room.

The truth was, he really didn't know. He hadn't been happy in a long time. California didn't fix it. New friends didn't fix it. Food didn't fix it. Nothing fixed it.

He just..

 _Needed_ something.

* * *

It was 6:30 AM. Another hour before they opened. Ichigo couldn't beat insomnia so he found himself going through old things in his room. His attention was currently withheld by an old magazine, the cover sporting a certain Russian skater.

He was reading a portion of an interview he saw on TV once. It felt like deja-vu and nostalgia, being at such a hard spot in life while understanding what she's saying and being taken back to when you were so young.

Her own mother had died when she was six years old. The Kuchiki never mentioned her but during her 19th birthday, which was on the day she one her 4th consecutive Grand Prix Final, she opened up about the heartache of losing such an important person. As a child Ichigo had only lost his own mother a year prior to seeing that speech on television and he could remember losing the fight of holding back his tears. He promised not to in front of his family but she.. started to talk about _hating_ the ice. She explained how the ice brought her misery like it did for Ichigo. But she needed to remember how much joy it brought her, because even though she may not be able to make new memories with the people she held in her heart, she had amazing ones on the ice with them.

"I - I don't want to disappoint him," She exclaimed, a bit teary-eyed.

Ichigo closed it and threw it on the side of his bed. His throat wasn't dry but he swallowed anyway. After that he remembered picking up skating once again. The young heartbroken, angry kid didn't hate it as much as he did anymore. Ichigo was never in tune with it as he once was but he managed to not block it out of his life entirely. He wasn't doing it for competitions either, simply himself. It only lasted for a few years however, once reaching his late teens and once again abandoning it.

The ice.

Everywhere he looked he saw it but he denied it. He denied how much he missed it. It crawled up and down his spine. The chill inside the arena that kept everything frozen, the sound of the blades ruining the smooth ice, the satisfaction of nailing your jump..

* * *

"Kurosaki?"

"Toushiro? You own the ice skating rink?" Ichigo puzzled, pulling his scarf around. He hadn't seen him since middle school.

" _Hitsugaya_ , Kurosaki." Toushiro reminded, never too fond of Ichigo's comfortable nature with his name. "Why are you at the rink? Coming back to skating?"

Silence started to speak instead. Ichigo pretended to be interested at the board behind his old friend's head, but honestly the prices weren't that compelling. He just wasn't going to answer that.

"Ichigo?" A somewhat familiar voice called out, prompting the ginger to turn.

"Momo? .. _Woah_ , hi." He was surprised but not too surprised of the three children hiding behind his old friend's legs. All little girls with white hair and momo's eyes. He hoped they didn't have their father's _big attitude._ He got on a knee, poking his head out further as he waved. "Hey there. I know your mom, Momo. She used to be my friend. Your dad was too short for me to ever notice though."

One of them laughed. Then the other two followed.

" _Girls_.." Toushiro scolded, already tired of the jokes. "So are you skating or not, Kurosaki?" He quizzed, pulling out shelfs that held viable sizes of skates for his old right hand man. He watched Ichigo struggle a bit before answering, evening chewing on the inside of his cheek. Toushiro wondered how long it been?

It's been years since Ichigo Kurosaki skated. But it's been even longer since he's smiled like that.

* * *

Momo finally came back in the bedroom after managing to pull off putting her _lovely_ , _too energetic_ , _never sleeping_ daughters to bed.

Toushiro sat impressed, praising his wife of such a feat.

She laughed, getting ready for bed as she began to talk about the day.

"I was so surprised to see Ichigo skate like that. I think even he was."

Toushiro wondered if it was like riding a bike.

"It was nice to see him in a good mood. I wonder if he was doing that freely or was it apart of a routine?."

"Oh, as if he could come up with something like _that_ ," He scoffed. "Remember that woman he loved? The russian skater, Rukia Kuchiki? - He was simply copying her routine. I'll admit, it was a nice rendition. I'm also impressed he remembered it. It was quite long ago."

Momo began to giggle. "The girls certainly loved it. Don't tell Ichigo but they recorded him!"

Suddenly intense giggling could be heard from down the hallway. Momo didn't pull off such a feat after all. "I'll take care of it," Chivalry was very much alive as Toushiro informed, getting out of bed and heading for his daughters' room. When he entered however they were all _magically_ asleep, earning a 'not-buying-it' grin from the white haired father. "Girls, you better be asleep by the time I leave this room," Toushiro demanded, voice loud and clear. " _You all get ten more minutes.._ " He whispered, flicking the light off as he walked back down the hallway.

The girls cheered among themselves, thanking their naive, mushy father for letting them stay up and post a certain little video..

* * *

She refreshed the page. The views were climbing, the comments were being added and the like bar was growing.

Her eyes remained the same though.

On him.

Rukia Kuchiki for the first time _in a long time_ , was exhilarated. She was amazed by the way this boy glided on the rink, excited even, felt something she couldn't explain even as he nailed every jump like she had. Even the way he executed the biellmann spin, the skater loved it. It was _her_ routine. No one had dared done their own rendition of 'Life Is Like A Boat' like that. It was hard, not just on the body but the self. It was easy to lose your composure, allow yourself to sink emotionally and end up locking your muscles and ultimately having a bad performance. There was a reason that performance won that championship, it was extremely difficult to pull off.

The rendition of his..it spoke volumes. As corny as it may seem Rukia had only saw a few have their own versions of her performance and the reason, that she believes it lacked, was they didn't have emotion like she had. They never felt that pain of losing someone, which was what the performance was based off.

Ichigo Kurosaki, in Karakura, Japan did. Rukia could feel it as much as she could see it.

Watching him, as sloppy as he may of been..

It made her blood rush. It made the Russian skater's heart thump. But more importantly, she was finally met with a challenge.

* * *

It was the end of the week now, Ichigo came back with groceries for Isshin, heading to the front desk to meet his overly annoying father. But he wasn't greeted by that..

"What the - what the _FUCK_?!" He shrieked, tackled by a extremely if not horrifyingly sized rabbit. The milk, the eggs and bread went everywhere but the fridge as Ichigo struggled on the ground and away from bunny kisses. He didn't wanna hurt the thing, but it was a _monster_ \- case closed.

"Calm down son, you're acting like a child. It's just a little bunny...a horrifying, death bringing, possibly man eating bunny. Cute!"

 _Is this..Ruuchan? I thought you died?_

" - Came in with a even better looking foreign guest. _A woman_." His father added, picking up the spilled goods and offering no help to his struggling son.

Everything seemed to die out then though. All sound, even his father's ramblings, the thing pissing on the floor and on his hand..

 _Big rabbit. A foreign guest. A woman. An attractive woman.._

Ichigo finally managed to get free from the _creature_ and his father, one orange brow perking curiously as he walked past the guests giggling.

 _No. It can't be. It isn't._

With his hands in his pockets searching for something that wasn't there, he found himself walking up and down. _The rabbit, it had a black spot on it's back too. Like.._

 _There's no reason to even think about it. I don't think she'd come to a lousy, cheap Hotsprings & Inn.. _

Speaking of Hotsprings.

Ichigo suddenly wound up in it, outside suddenly looking out at the steaming hot water, surrounded by chakra balancing stones and being _swimmed in_!

His eyes nearly threatened to pop out of his head and his cheeks flushed strawberry red at the sight of bare plump _ass_!

"Ru.. ** _Rukia Kuchiki_**?!"

He stammered, suddenly embarrassed at the fact he just said that out loud and by the fact he was in the women's hot springs!

The Russian skater shockingly turned, instantly covering up as she yelled out, "You.. pervert! Stop staring at me!"

The poor ginger instantly did a 160, unfortunately running face first into the entrance and knocking flat on his head. He was out.

Rukia got up and out of the pool, wrapping a towel around her body as she slowly approached the peeping tom. A somewhat not surprising breath escaped her lips as she realized who he was.

Her foot tapped his chest, prompting him to wake up.

Ichigo awoke slowly, feeling a pressure on his chest. He just had the most..interesting and _amazing_ dream..

"Wait a minute - _what_!?" The young man struggled, looking up at the very woman he somehow _was_ seeing.

"Ichigo Kurosaki? I'm _Rukia Kuchiki_ ," She announced, humble head on her shoulders. With a hand extended and a heavy foot still pressing down onto the pervert, "You're going to win the Grand Prix Final..and _I'm_ going to be your coach."

He blinked, not once, not twice, not three times.

It _had_ to be a dream.

Rukia suddenly took her hand away though, crossing them as her face scrunched up suspiciously. "Wait a minute..how did you know it was me by just seeing my..?"

* * *

 **Thanks for reading part 1! Hope you liked the ending, lol.**


	2. Denial, Chocolates & Realization!

_The street lights on the bridge weren't highlighting Rukia's path the way the moon did. She was thankful for that just like she was of doubling up on coats at the last second, considering how thick the snow and cold was. The ice skater was a fan of those two things however, just not for a flight._

 _Large headlights arrived and the sound of an engine grew closer. The window to the limousine suddenly rolled down as the car came to a slow stop, prompting the young woman to become still._

 _"Rukia.." A deep, familiar voice called out. "If you chose this path, then do not plan on returning."_

 _She could only shake her head._

 _"Thank you for everything. You've done more for me than I could of ever asked..'' Finally her eyes met his cold ones. ''But if Ukitake sends me his best wishes, you shouldn't do the opposite."_

 _"Let me make myself clear this time." His tone managed to become even more stern. "If you leave, you can_ not _come back."_

 _If her father had bothered to get out of the car, his cheek would of been kissed, but Rukia could only smile to herself._

 _"Dasvidaniya.." The Russian whispered, pulling on her coat as she made her decision._

 _Sorry I can't do what you want this time, Byakuya.._

 _Without looking back, she resumed her path._

* * *

"Ichigo! Why are you not answering your cell!?" Keigo shouted, sliding the doors frantically open like a nuisance with snow atop his head.

Isshin was the first one to reply, kicking back in one of the lounge chairs. "What's wrong?"

The poor guy was almost at a lost for words. What _wasn't_ wrong? "There's a rumor Rukia Kuchiki is going to be Ichigo's coach! I don't believe that for a second!.. _is it true?"_

The father nodded his head up in realization. That's what this kid was so worked up on? He simply turned the page of the newspaper he was reading before answering.

"Rukia's _already_ here,"

The nuisance's eyes were almost about to pop out of his head before he followed in the direction Isshin's head nodded toward.

Sliding the shoji to the dining room made his jaw drop.

 _Beautiful Kuchiki was sound asleep._

Ichigo jolted back when he heard the doors open, abandoning his previous position of _watching_ the skating idol sleep and still denying everything that was happening.

"Dude!" Keigo frustratedly cried. "Why is she in your inn's robes!?" Not that the sight was bad..

The ginger's cheek's almost grew as orangey red. Ichigo's defensive tone also greeted Keigo at the same time while he stammered. "I..I don't what you're trying to imply," That itch returned on his neck. "I didn't put her in the those robes. She soaked in the hot springs, had dinner, then fell asle-"

"You saw her in the hot springs!?" Keigo questioned, a bit _too_ cheery.

" _Shut_ the hell up.." Ichigo sighed. "I never said that, did I? Now, what the do you even want, Asano?"

His friend shrugged, the over reaction slowly fading after coming to terms that Rukia Kuchiki was _actually_ there with Ichigo.. "It's just big news in Russia, is all. I mean you know I was never into the whole skating thing but I saw your name in a article." His dark brown hues drank in the peaceful Kuchiki's form as she snuggled next to her rabbit.

Ichigo continued to listen to his perverted friend, curious orange brow perking as he went on and right hand adjusting a pillow to cover the front of her upper robe..

" _Hey_! I wasn't looking.." Kiego tried to convince. "Anyways, the article talked about that girl you used to talk about all the time. Well, _her_." He corrected, opening his hand toward the sleeping beauty. "-It said she was taking next season off and considering her next big move. Whatever, I wasn't interested. Then, it said she saw a video of _you_ skating her routine.."

Denial seemed to be a new pattern in Ichigo's behavior. Because he was speechles. But his friend wasn't done talking _just yet_.

Kiego got closer, placing his hands on the ginger's shoulders. "It said she felt _inspiration_ from it. Your performances struck a chord in her or something..''

No response.

"Broooo," Ichigo's friend shook him a little, preparing him for the next part. "She came here _for you_. She chose you. _You_ brought her here.. That's _awesome_!"

The ex skater didn't smile. His scowl was still intact as ever. Plus, Kiego's hands were still on his shoulders..

But it faltered for a second and although the ginger didn't freak out, didn't jump around the room or faint.. His heart begun to beat fast. In fact it was all he could hear. His palms sweat, his throat became dry, he felt incredibly uneasy. Or perhaps he just couldn't figure out what he was feeling yet.

 _She was inspired by..me?_

Ichigo's hand went to his chest. Was it from dis-belief? More denial? Checking if he even had a pulse because surely he must of been dead? Who knew. It wasn't anywhere near that dramatic but no one could doubt the strawberry red on his cheeks in that moment, as much as he swore Keigo he'd kick his ass if he tried to bring it up again.

"So man ~.." Kiego casually began, something Ichigo hated. "You hittin' _that_ or what? I mean come on, she came -"

The only thing that got hit however, was Kiego.

Well, _knocked out._

* * *

 _What..!? Rukia went to Japan to become some loser's coach? MY Rukia!?_

The teen clutched his cellphone. The fire in his eyes was almost as large as the fire in his heart.

He pinched the image, zooming in on Ichigo Kurosaki.

"For that fatso!?" The blonde russian couldn't believe it. "Did she forget what she promised me..?" His heart wanted to wittle away and die. Then anger returned. "Someome! Explain this stupid shit to me!"

 **xxxx**

"Rukia wants to take time off until she finds motivation again. I believe in her, I know she will.." The legendary Jushiro Ukitake announced to the press, hoping to turn the dial down on all the media's accusations. "Many doubt she'll be able to return if she takes a break at the moment. I don't personally believe that..''

The press expected as much, the matter being made light for Rukia. But they'd be able to finally make headlines with what had happened next.

Byakuya Kuchiki had emerged from the stadium, the very rink he owned and his daughter had grown up in. He took his stance on the podium originally placed for her coach to speak and instead figured he'd offer his insight on the matter.

''Rukia only does things for herself. She is not looking for motivation because she has left ice skating..''

The crowd went silent. The rumors that had been spreading for the past year suddenly made a reappearance in all their minds, causing slight gasps. Why did her own father also speak so harshly of her?

''But Mr. Kuchiki, isn't she in Japan, coaching Kurosaki Ic-''

''This meeting is now over.'' His calm demeanor almost faltered. ''She is not coaching anyone. She will _not_ return to ice skating.''

The Russian skater watched the press conference from afar, shaking his head as the lights flashed from each camera, even as Byakuya Kuchiki and Jushio Ukitake walked away. He clenched his fist, Rukia really did forget her promise to him..

''We'll see about that..'' He muttered.

* * *

It was getting late at the Hotsprings & Inn. After _dragging Keigo out_ , Ichigo found himself watching his idol sleep again. He wasn't a weirdo by any means, but there wasn't anything else to do except wait for her to get up. The skater hadn't even booked a room, it wasn't as if Ichigo was going to just leave her be.

''Why do you sleep like a bear in the damn winter for, huh?'' He whispered to himself, sitting cross legged.

She was blushing in her sleep, actually looking more like a little bunny in the winter..

Ichigo couldn't help but look.

Suddenly she sneezed lightly, prompting herself to awake. The ginger jumped back a bit, chewing on the inside of his cheek as he pretended to be doing something else. Hazily the raven haired Russian sat up as lidded violet eyes captured nervous amber ones.

''I'm starving..'' Rukia pouted, her green robe fell a bit to the side, revealing _soft creamy skin_ as the cloth fell a bit down her shoulder. Ichigo swallowed hard, suddenly forgetting how to act and abandoning the idea of eye contact. ''Okay, sure. What do you want to eat?'' He asked, looking down at his lap as that never ending itch decided to pay a visit on his neck. It was just hard to grasp reality. The reason she was there in the first place was because she was inspired by him? Simple conversation seemed difficult.

Rukia held on to chappy as she tilted her head. ''As your coach, I'd like to know what _your_ favorite food is, Ichigo.''

 _What?_

Suddenly the door slid open with a very cheerful Isshin popping out. ''That's the pork cutlet bowl! Hold on, I'll make you some!''

 _Was that bastard listening in the whole time?_

 **xxxx**

''So, do you like it?'' Isshin quizzed, waiting for the skater's reaction as the fried pork cutlet met her mouth.

The flavors broke down inside her palette, making her eyes widen and cheeks blush.

''...Vkusno!'' She cheerfully announced, taking another bite, and another. ''Ichigo..?'' She asked, covering her mouth as she swallowed. ''Why aren't you eating? Your father said this was your favorite dish.'' She waited for his reply, turning to her side where he sat. (Thanks to Isshin.)

Arms crossed, the ginger shrugged as he drank his hot tea. ''Not really. Old man just wanted to show off his skills.''

Isshin smirked, it was true. Ichigo couldn't give two craps about pork cutlet bowls! Yuzu had been teaching her old man a few tricks and he couldn't help but show them off to the foreigner! ''Not too bad though, am I right? My Japanese dish has found itself inside a Russian's heart.. Ichigo here just likes to skip to dessert, don'tcha son?'' He quizzed, tapping the back of the ginger's shoulder harder than he should of.

Ichigo cursed, reaching out and trying to soothe his now black and blue injury. Isshin would pay for that.. But, he was right. Ichigo couldn't get his eyes away from the plate of chocolate on the table.

''I agree with Ichigo as well then, I too share a sweet tooth.'' Rukia grabbed the plate, sliding it closer to her. ''My favorite is nama chocolate, I had to bring this out..''

 _I thought my dad did?_

''I used to have this shipped overseas. I came here to Japan for you Ichigo, yes. But the chocolate was a plus..''

Ichigo's face reddened again. But his fist clenched as his father began to chuckle teasingly. Wanting to avoid awkwardness, ''It's actually my favorite too.'' He admitted, reaching for a piece. God, were those things heavenly..

''When I was younger a fan had written a letter to try some and sent me these. I've been overindulgent since. I wish I can thank them for introducing me to such a sweet treat ~'' Rukia went on, closing her eyes in delight as she took a bite.

Ichigo swallowed, swallowed hard.

''Hey son, didn't you send a -AH! Fu...'' Isshin whimpered, holding in his stomach as he shot his kin a dirty look. Suddenly a smile appeared. He didn't want Rukia knowing, did he?

''Yeah..'' Ichigo mumbled, hot amber eyes threatening his father's if he spilled the tea Ichigo would probably spill actual hot piping tea on him. And smash the damn cup on his head too. His idol did not need to know of his.. _love letter_ he sent as a child accompanied with chocolates! Oh, the cringe the ginger felt inside. She didn't bring that up though..

 _Thank God.._

''Well actually Ms. Kuchiki,'' Isshin began, watching his son's expression battle on the brink of sanity.

''Rukia,'' The skater corrected, not wanting to feel any type of special treatment. She wasn't anyone important.

The father smirked, taking a liking to her humbleness. ''Rukia,'' He fixed. ''My son gained weight very easily. So he would only eat a whole plate of these after each competition he won.''

That made the small woman giggle. _How cute_. Her attention went to the relieved Kurosaki, ''Is that true Ichigo? Have you had these recently?''

For the first time all day, he actually smiled. ''Uh..yeah. Yesterday. I can't get enough of these things.''

With still gleaming eyes and dimples threatning to make hers fan go blind, ''But why?'' She asked.

 _..What?_

''You haven't won anything in years.'' Pointing with her chopsticks, ''And with that pig's body of yours, lessons would be meaningless..''

Ichigo _deadpanned_. His soul left his body. Isshin laughed hysterically and his son was speechless.

''You're a little chubby. Thanks to all the chocolate.. You need to lose 15 pounds at least. Or else..I can never coach you.''

 _What the hell!?_

''Who the hell said you were even my coach anyway, huh? I mean..I never agreed to it! And..and I'm not fat!'' The chubster tried to convince, clenching his fist at his idol.

''Correct, not 'fat'. Lot to love. Big boned. Husky. Genetics. I agree, strawberry ~''

 _Str-strawberry? She agrees there's 'lot to love'? What?! Man, why am I not pissed off!? I should be way more offended!_ ''My name does _not !_ -''

''Yes it does, 'Ichigo' in Japanese is _Strawberry_ , not to mention you look like a strawberry.'' The Russian brought up, twirling a finger in his spiked hair. Ichigo became still, not sure how to react before jerking away. For a second it looked like that demon rabbit on her back was laughing too!

Isshin watched on, completely in disbelief his son was speaking so comfortably, in fact _arguing so comfortably_ with someone he wrote love letters to as a kid.

''Dad, there's luggage in the way, what do I do with it?'' Karin boredly asked, popping her head through the opened doors. Suddenly deadpanning at the sight.

''Oh, can you take it where I'll be staying?'' Rukia replied, hand covering Ichigo's never ending mouth.

 _Staying?_ Ichigo blinked.

''What's all the fuss about?'' A higher pitch voice questioned, joining her sister in the doorway. ''Rukia Kuchiki!?''

 **xxxx**

After his two sisters wrapped their heads around the fact Rukia Kuchiki was going to be Ichigo coach, they felt like they knew her for years. She was kind, and seemed to make Ichigo uncomfortable which was an A+ in Karin's book.

''It was nice meeting you girls, we'll talk more in the morning, right?'' She hoped, smiling back at the ginger's sisters when they nodded and bid farewell. ''I like them. I like your family, Ichigo.'' Rukia confessed, walking alongside him to her room.

''Thanks, I guess.'' He replied, finally stopping before some sliding doors. Holding her boxes he used his foot to nudge it to the right. Rukia walked in and he followed.

''Wow, what a classic, tiny room. I like it! ..Is there a sofa?'' Still trying to be ever humble, the daughter of wealth was a bit used to the finer things in life..

''Nah, it's all we have at the second,'' Ichigo mentioned, putting her things down. ''We only had a unused banquet room.''

Suddenly silence spoke. Tension filled the air, making it thick.

 _Why is she staring at me like **that**?_

''Anxious, Ichigo?''

 _..What?_ The ginger wondered, sitting on his knees as he stacked her belongings. (Staying away from the demon rabbit on the other side of the room.)

Suddenly the tension stopped. ''Don't worry, you can pay the coaching fee after you achieve success! I'll bill you after.''

Was she on something? Ichigo's scowl deepened as he puffed hot air out of his nostrils. ''Who _the hell_ said I was gonna -?''

Suddenly the Russian beauty closed the distance between them, crouching down. ''Ichigo..tell me everything about you~'' The ex-skater was caught off guard, suddenly having the underside of his chin caressed. ''What rink do you skate at?'' She leaned closer, taking his amber hues hostage and slowing his struggling breath. The soft skin around her collarbone tempting to his hot eyes, inviting his warm fingers to touch. ''What's in the city?'' The student suddenly found his face a temperature he could only find in California. ''Is there a girl you like?'' Before he knew it _he_ was leaning forward, drowning in her violet pools as her left hand slid down his arm, down his wrist, capturing his hand all while bringing his face closer to her's with the other. ''Before we start practicing, let's build some trust in our relationship..''

 _I.._

''Hey Rukia, you forgot your rabbit's food down stairs! Oh..am I interrupting something?~'' Isshin suddenly popped in, prompting Ichigo to practically fling backwards, face a different shade from his tan skin.

''I'll come back later.'' He laughed, walking away.

''Why are you running away, Ichigo?'' Rukia quizzed, crossing her arms as she watched the struggling ginger. ''Did I do something wrong?~''

 _A tease. Rukia Kuchiki is being a tease with me.._

Ichigo disagreed with her, getting up and avoiding all eye contact. _I'm still hesitant to get close to her.._

 **xxxx**

''Ichigo, let's sleep together.'' Rukia knocked, holding her folded blanket in one hand as chappy bounced around beside her. ''As your coach, there's so much I need to learn about you.'' She added.

It was A.M then, making it the perfect time for snuggling beneath your comfy blanket, not barricading the door with your body. ''No, that's fine! Go back to your bed Rukia!'' The embarrassed ex-skater tried to convince, eyeing _all those **posters**_ in his room.

''Ichigo?''

Quickly the flustered student collected the various shots of the very idol banging on the door like a cartoon, running to each corner, nook and cranny in a matter of seconds. ''No, just go back to your own room!'' He muttered, finally grabbing the last head shot as he stood on top of his bed to reach it. The ex skater couldn't believe this. Rukia Kuchiki wanted to.. _sleep with him_!? As he came back down he shuffled the pictures, thinking of somewhere to place them. But then the very picture of the Russian caught his eye, causing his world to stop spinning. He found himself getting lost in it.

 **xxxx**

The events still had a hard time settling in as the day winded to an end. Rukia was not a room down, sleeping peacefully.

 _We've barely even spoken because I put her on such a high pedestal, and now she's right here.._

Ichigo's eyes were hidden behind his palms as he laid in bed. Suddenly they abandoned his face, revealing his warm cheeks and a smile to end darkness. He hadn't felt this way in a long time. _Too long_ of a time..

 _I get it now.._

Ichigo Kurosaki was the guy who scowled in pictures. He was the one who didn't look forward to birthdays or holidays, didn't care to hang out with friends, he was the kind of guy to feel lonely in a room full of people. But for the first time since his mother past.. he looked forward to tomorrow.

 _My heart's pounding because of how happy I am._

* * *

 **Thank you all for the reviews, favs and follows. I really appreciate it! Hope you enjoyed this chapter** ❤ **.**


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